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The Podlove Matrix

Short thesis:

The Podlove Matrix is an open semantic metadata database for audiovisual recordings on the web. It is intended to cover both conferences and university lectures as well as the open podcast landscape, acting as a user-editable global directory of episodal content. Based on Wikibase, the technical foundation of Wikidata, it is both readable and writeable by machines and humans alike. Part of the Podlove project, the Matrix aims to be a viable alternative to current podcast directories.

Description:

Audiovisual material on the web is a significant part of the world's information as it provides knowledge and insight on many topics and is about to replace traditional schooling concepts in the future. Problem is that there is a lack of semantic information listing and interconnecting that material. Metadata about speakers, topics, tags, links and media playback locations need to be provided to humans and software alike.

Projects like Wikipedia have shown that an open, collaborative effort to gather information can be hugely successful and that adding a semantic layer like Wikidata opens the project to even more usage scenarios beyond the simple dictionary lookup we are used to these days.

The Podlove Matrix is a new approach leveraging the power of Wikibase (the foundation of Wikidata) to create an open catalogue of audio-visual recordings of knowledge-based lectures, talks, podcasts and other presentations. The Podlove Matrix both serves as a universal directory for Podcasts as well as an index of lectures and presentations given at universities, conferences and other venues around the world. Combined with Wikidata, the Podlove Matrix can be a valuable tool to find knowledge resources that explain how the world works.

Software supporting the Podlove Matrix can browse through an endless stream of content available on the net providing users with either a broad or narrowed-down, specific view on the content available. Programs can both read and fill up the database with content and everybody can participate to keep the content current and correct. The directory is open to everyone and is therefore a viable alternative to closed systems like the iTunes podcast and iTunes U directories and other software-specific catalogues.